Hillsdale Academy tops Litchfield for district crown

Saturday

Mar 2, 2013 at 10:30 AM

By Ed Patinoed.patino@hillsdale.netNORTH ADAMS — Throughout its successful season, the Hillsdale Academy girls basketball team has had different players step up at different times.Christina Craig made her mark Friday, leading a balanced attack as the Colts captured the Class D district championship with a 43-21 victory over the Litchfield Terriers at North Adams-Jerome High School.Hillsdale Academy (21-1) advanced to next week's regional tournament at Mendon. The Colts will face Pittsford in the semifinals Tuesday night.The Colts took command early and put Litchfield (9-11) behind the eight ball. Hillsdale Academy opened the game with a 10-2 run in the first quarter, then extended its lead to 19-6 by halftime.Hillsdale Academy got rolling offensively in the third quarter, outscoring the Terriers 14-4 in the frame before coasting to the win and the district title."We talked about surviving and advancing, and we're excited to win," Hillsdale Academy coach Kevin Reed said. "We didn't play as good as we would've liked, but by the third quarter we had things well in hand. There are 32 teams left in Class D and we're one of them."Craig finished with a game-high 10 points to lead the Colts. Elyse Lisznyai had seven points and 11 steals, while Olivia Jones had seven points, five rebounds and three assists. McKayla Tharp scored seven points and handed out three assists. Lyndee Wonders grabbed six rebounds and Michaela Biegner pulled down five rebounds."Christina sometimes plays second fiddle to the other girls, but she does a lot of the dirty work," Reed said. "It's nice to see her be our leading scorer tonight."Harley Prater finished with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists in her final prep game for Litchfield. Hayley Jones added six points, while Katelyn Wheeler scored five points.The Terriers captured the Southern Central Athletic Association Blue Division title for the first time since 1999 before making it to the district final."Overall I'm happy with our season and look forward to building on this year," Litchfield coach Bill O'Dell said. "I thought we were competitive in most of our games, and the girls felt like they could play with any team. They never quit throughout the season."Hillsdale Academy swept the two meetings with Pittsford during the regular season.